Philadelphia man sentenced for role in Norristown drug ring

COURTHOUSE — A Philadelphia man, one of 21 people arrested in Operation Chain-Link in January 2012, was sentenced to three to six years in prison Friday for his role in a multi-county drug ring centered in Norristown.

Victor Sabater-Almodovar, 52 formerly of the 200 block of Lippincott Street, will be eligible for parole after 27 months in prison if he maintains a clean record and completes counseling and treatment programs while incarcerated.

Sabater-Almodovar entered into an open guilty plea in front of Judge Gary Silow in April 2012. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and a count of criminal conspiracy to deliver cocaine. He will get credit for time served from Jan. 25 to July 5, 2012, and then from Dec. 2, 2013, to April 4, 2014.

According to court documents, Sabater-Almodovar, also known as “Cuco,” was a source of supply for cocaine for the operation. Investigators also found he acted as a conduit between two dealers in the organization.

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The investigation began in November 2011, when Montgomery County Detectives learned of a drug operation being run by Jose Mauricio Rodriguez-Cordero out of his home on the 600 block of Chain Street, Norristown. Through a series of wire-taps and undercover investigations, 21 people were arrested for participating in the ring, which delivered drugs throughout the five-county area.

Cordero, who was considered to be the head of the organization, was sentenced to time served to 23 months in prison in October, according to a previous report in The Times Herald. It was reported that because Cordero had been in prison since his arrest, he had to serve only one month in jail after sentencing.

Cordero pleaded guilty to his actions and testified in trial against one of his a drug dealer who worked for him. Several other defendants in the case are still awaiting trial or sentencing.

Operation Chain-Link was a cooperative effort between law enforcement agencies in Montgomery, Philadelphia, Chester, Bucks and Delaware counties.